Stability of yield and baking quality parameters of heterogeneous wheat populations

In this study, heterogeneous winter wheat populations are compared to commercial pure line varieties in terms of performance and stability of yield and baking quality parameters. Comparative field trials were conducted in Germany and Switzerland under organic conditions over two years at four sites (trial 1) and over three years at 5-6 sites (trial 2). The test entries include heterogeneous winter wheat populations representing contrasting genetic backgrounds, among them officially registered populations within the temporary experiment 2014/150/EU. As reference varieties commercial cultivars of the highest German baking quality category ‘E’ suitable for organic production were used. Grain yield, wet gluten content and sedimentation value were measured in both trials and protein content in trial 2. The results of the trials indicate that two of the officially registered populations have a yield potential and baking quality characteristics comparable to the mean of the reference varieties. Other populations reached either lower yield and higher baking quality than the reference varieties or vice-versa. The stability analysis shows that the populations exhibited a distinctly higher dynamic as well as static stability for all baking quality parameters compared to the varieties. Averaged over all three quality parameters, the mean values of the stability measures for populations were 55% (dynamic) and 27% (static) lower than the means of the varieties. Notably, the two officially registered populations ranked first and second among the test entries for static stability for all quality parameters. The yield stability analysis indicated a tendency towards a higher dynamic stability in the populations.